DeWitt man in dramatic standoff across from Wegmans pursuing mental-illness defense

Syracuse, NY -- A DeWitt man accused of throwing a machete at police officers after setting fire to an apartment across from the East Genesee Street Wegmans decided not to challenge evidence against him in court Thursday.

Instead, Jonathan Almonte, 33, agreed to put his fate into the hands of defense experts who are looking into his mental health.

Almonte started a police standoff on Nov. 14, 2020 above the Hair Shed salon, 6840 E. Genesee St., after threatening a neighbor with a machete, police said. During the three-hour ordeal, Almonte tried to set fire to the building (where he lived), threw items out a window and later confronted officers with the machete outside, according to police reports.

The incident was first reported as a fire, but later it became apparent that a suspect had barricaded himself inside the building. The incident on a Saturday afternoon closed off the busy thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs.

Almonte was indicted on charges of burglary, arson and menacing a police officer. In court Thursday, Almonte’s lawyer was supposed to challenge the legality of using statements attributed to him during the standoff.

RELATED: Girlfriend: DeWitt man in standoff across from Wegmans is bipolar, ‘paranoid’ and ‘spike’ addict

But it became clear that defense lawyer Patrick Hennessy was simply trying to buy more time for defense experts to complete a “mitigation report” -- an investigation into Almonte’s past that could lessen his criminal responsibility.

Such a report almost certainly won’t lead to Almonte avoiding a conviction for what he did. Instead, it may provide a rationale for arguing for a lower prison sentence or for specialized treatment while in prison.

That mitigation report had been delayed by the fact that key parts of Almonte’s mental health history were recorded in New York City, Hennessy told the judge. It’s taken far longer than expected to put the puzzle pieces together.

So Almonte gave up his right to Thursday’s hearing in exchange for more time for his lawyer to work out a plea bargain.

The goal is to find a disposition that’s fair to all sides, Judge Thomas J. Miller told him.

Almonte remains jailed as the process plays out.

Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.